1. Field Of The Invention
The invention relates to a process for the production of a short-prismatic aluminum hydroxide as well as the use of the aluminum hydroxide as spread coating pigment in paper and cardboard coating, as flame-retardant filler in plastics and as white pigment in paints and enamels.
2. Background Art
A process is known from German Patent No. 3,338,186 for the production of aluminum hydroxide with an average grain diameter under 4 microns and a specific surface between 10 and 25 m.sup.2 /g. In this process, the actual crystallization is performed at a constant temperature over the entire absorptive precipitation time, and crystals are obtained, which exhibit a pronounced platelet shape. This platelet structure is disadvantageous in different uses and also in production. Thus, for example, by the greatly platelet-shaped character, the filtration and washing of the absorptively precipitated aluminum hydroxide suspension is made more difficult. Suspensions, dispersions or plastic mixtures, which contain greatly platelet-shaped aluminum hydroxide as fillers, exhibit very high viscosities and cannot be easily filtered. Other drawbacks are the poor hiding power and the poor coating volume in the brushing paint as well as less gloss.